1. Technical Field
The following description relates to one or more image forming devices configured to form an image on a recording sheet based on an electrophotographic technology.
2. Related Art
As is commonly known, an electrophotographic image forming device is configured to form an image on a recording sheet by forming an electrostatic latent image on a photoconductive body with an exposure unit such as an LED and laser beam scanner, then supplying developer to the photoconductive body with the electrostatic latent image formed thereon so as to form a developer image, and thereafter transferring the developer image onto the recording sheet.
The image forming device is provided with a process cartridge for the image forming, which is detachably attached to a main body thereof such that consumable supplies such as the photoconductive body and developer are replaced with new ones.
The process cartridge accommodates rotating bodies such as the photoconductive body (drum) and developing roller, which rotating bodies are configured to be rotated by a driving force obtained from the main body of the image forming device. As a configuration for acquiring the driving force from the main body, for example, there is disclosed in Japanese Patent Provisional Publication No. 2000-330455 (hereinafter referred to as '455 Publication), a technique using a joint portion configured to shift in an axial direction thereof. Specifically, in the technique disclosed in '455 Publication, there is provided a drive shaft configured to shift between a state engaging with an input portion of the process cartridge so as to transmit a driving force from a main body to the process cartridge and a state spaced from the input portion of the process cartridge so as to block the transmission of the driving force, which drive shaft is shifted with a cylindrical cam provided with a spiral sliding surface.
The cylindrical cam is joined, via a link, with a door configured to open and close a space housing the process cartridge. Therefor, when the door is opened by a user so as to detach the process cartridge, the cylindrical cam is rotated along with an opening movement of the door, and the drive shaft is retracted toward a main body side such that the driving force is blocked.
Meanwhile, when the process cartridge is completely attached to the main body and the door is closed by the user, the cylindrical cam is rotated along with the operation of closing the door, and the drive shaft is inserted into the input portion such that the driving force is transmitted from the main body to the process cartridge.